Poetry, short stories, and a few other things on my mind.

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Pirates of Hardwood

Chapter 11

The ship rocked back and forth, splashing the salty water up the sides. The wind was steady and the air was warm. Sam could feel it coming in through the cracks around the window as she stared through it. She hadn’t seen land or another ship or boat since being forced on board with the pirates. She was beginning to wonder if they were lost at sea or if those scurvy people actually knew what they were doing.

The captain, Flint, had kept her locked away in his quarters with a guard to keep watch. She barely slept a wink on a bed that wasn’t entirely comfortable. She could smell the straw of the hay in the mattress and the sheets were itchy. She tried to close her eyes and what little sleep she did get, she found herself dreaming about Darrick. She wondered if he and her friends were still alive or if he was hurt. She enjoyed what little time they spent together and was looking forward to seeing him more. The captain had him locked away in some dinghy prison at the very bottom of the ship, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get to see him again.

Above the room she was in, she could hear the men stomping their boot clad feet across the wood of the deck. They were shouting orders at one another, but their accents were too thick for her to understand their words clearly. She was waiting for the captain to return. He brought her a small slice of wheat bread for breakfast, then left her alone for a couple of hours. She wanted him to come back. Not to have someone to talk to, but to beg him to let her see her friends.
She turned away from the window and glanced to the painting on the wall. There was no doubt that the girl looked identical to her and she knew Flint was in love with her. She could see it in his eyes every time met with hers. He was grateful she was there, like he assumed his love life would start right where he left it with the Alissa girl he kept mentioning. Sam wanted no part of that love life and she was wondering how any woman would want to be involved with a bunch of dirty pirates.

The handle on the door squeaked and Sam’s eyes darted in that direction. Slowly, the door was pushed open and Flint stepped inside. He removed his feathered hat and closed the door behind him. His boots clicked on the wood beneath his feet, gradually getting muffled by the burgundy throw rug in the middle of the room. Sam stood from the chair by the window and turned her body toward him.

“I want to see my friends.” She demanded.

Flint ran his hands along the feather in his hat and smiled, “You don’t want to visit the brig, my dear. It is a dirty mess down there. Not a place for a woman like you.”

Sam shook her head, “I don’t care. I’m tired of you keeping me locked in this room and not telling me if my friends are okay. I need to see them.”

He stepped closer to her and said, “I can assure that they are alive and well. My men have fed them and gave them fresh water. There is nothing you need to worry about.”

She could feel the tears forming in the corners of her eyes, “Please, just let me see for myself and I’ll do whatever you want.”

Flint tossed the hat on the bed and smiled, “Will you kiss me?”

Sam was taken aback by his offer and it showed on her face. Her lips were quivering and her hands were shaking. That was the moment she had been dreading. The moment where that man threw himself at her and took the most intimate part of her life away from her. She wanted to see her friends, to see that Darrick especially was okay, but she didn’t know if it was worth doing what the captain truly wanted.

“I can tell by the look on your face that you’re afraid of me.” Flint said, calmly. “I don’t want anything more than a kiss. Those men on deck, they are the ones who would want more. I was raised a bit differently and I just want a kiss. Is that so much to ask if you want to see you friends.”

Sam took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. There was something about his sweet, tantalizing words that were beckoning her to do as he wished.

“Just a kiss?” she asked, quietly.

He nodded, “One simple kiss.”

“Okay.” She replied.

Flint slowly strolled through the room, meeting her at the window. He stared into her beautiful eyes, brushed a few loose strands of her auburn hair from out of her face and took a deep breath. He placed his hands on her shoulders and could feel her body shaking. Inch by inch, he closed the gap between them and stole the kiss he had been waiting for since her arrival. He pressed his lips upon hers and the warmth of that kiss ignited a flame that hadn’t been lit in three years.